{{Short description|Species of lichen}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}} {{Speciesbox | image = | taxon = Biatora epirotica | authority = Printzen & T.Sprib. (2011) }}
'''''Biatora epirotica''''' is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Ramalinaceae.<ref name="CoL"/> Found in specific regions of the Balkans and Turkey, it was described as new to science in 2011 by lichenologists Christian Printzen and Toby Spribille.
==Taxonomy== ''Biatora epirotica'' was first described by lichenologists Christian Printzen and Toby Spribille in 2011. The species epithet is derived from Epirus, the geographical region in the Balkans where most of the samples were collected. The type specimen was found by the second author in Epirus, Greece, on twigs of ''Abies borisii-regis''.<ref name="Lumbsch et al. 2011"/>
==Description== The thallus of ''Biatora epirotica'' lacks a {{lichengloss|cortex}}, is smooth to {{lichengloss|rimose}}, and ranges in colour from beige to gray, often with a greenish tinge. The surface is matt, lacks soredia, and can grow up to {{convert|10|mm|in|abbr=on|1}} in diameter. The lichen's {{lichengloss|photobiont}} is {{lichengloss|trebouxioid}}.<ref name="Lumbsch et al. 2011"/>
Apothecia of ''Biatora epirotica'' are sessile, with a diameter of 0.3–0.6 mm, and a white to pale ochre {{lichengloss|disc}}. The lichen has 8-spored asci and (0–)3-septate ascospores, which are hyaline and narrowly ellipsoid, sometimes slightly bent.<ref name="Lumbsch et al. 2011"/>
''Biatora epirotica'' closely resembles ''B. pallens'' but can be distinguished by its larger ascospores and a deeper hymenium. ''B. pallens'' has narrower ascospores and contains usnic acid, which is not present in ''B. epirotica''.<ref name="Lumbsch et al. 2011"/>
==Habitat and distribution== ''Biatora epirotica'' has been found on twigs of various tree species, such as ''Abies borisii-regis'', ''A. nordmanniana'', ''Laurus nobilis'', ''Ostrya carpinifolia'', and ''Quercus coccifera'', as well as on trunks and dead twigs of young ''Picea orientalis''. The lichen primarily occurs in mountainous areas with high humidity and extensive cyanolichen communities at elevations between {{convert|450|and|1500|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Lumbsch et al. 2011"/>
The known distribution of ''Biatora epirotica'' is centred around the Black Sea region, well-known for being a refugium of the Tertiary and Pleistocene periods. Other ''Biatora'' species with similar distributional ranges include ''B. bacidioides'', ''B. pontica'', and ''B. longispora''. The latter two species are also known from eastern North America and East Asia, suggesting that ''Biatora epirotica'' might also be found in these regions.<ref name="Lumbsch et al. 2011"/>
==References== {{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="CoL">{{Catalogue of Life |id=LQKB |title=''Biatora epirotica'' Printzen & T. Sprib. |access-date=12 June 2023}}</ref>
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epirotica Category:Lichen species Category:Lichens described in 2011 Category:Lichens of Southeastern Europe Category:Taxa named by Toby Spribille Category:Taxa named by Christian Printzen